Red Hat's Cockpit May Improve Server GUI Administration

[bulletxt]

Michael, thanks for sharing this news. Please be sure to update us once it becomes "usable" and at least in beta state. As of now I use webmin for my servers but of course alternatives are well accepted!

[Ericg]

You would note that Red Hat has slowly integrated tools into the desktop environment directly instead of maintaining distribution specific tools. There is hardly any left that are installed by default and/or maintained separatedly anymore. The only useful tool that is remaining in that list is system-config-printer.

Integrating into Gnome Settings or general gnome apps? I almost always run KDE so if the DE tools can run under KDE I'd love to know what packages they are so I can be using them

[RahulSundaram]

Integrating into Gnome Settings or general gnome apps? I almost always run KDE so if the DE tools can run under KDE I'd love to know what packages they are so I can be using them

Both, really. Base level libraries can be used by any desktop environment (Apper layered over PackageKit library for example) but the primary focus of some of that integration work is there in settings (Network for example) well as apps (GNOME Software..). You can use all of these in any DE but they probably will look a bit out of place for now outside of GNOME.

[Ericg]

Both, really. Base level libraries can be used by any desktop environment (Apper layered over PackageKit library for example) but the primary focus of some of that integration work is there in settings (Network for example) well as apps (GNOME Software..). You can use all of these in any DE but they probably will look a bit out of place for now outside of GNOME.

I'll throw the GNOME Desktop group on my home server and check out the Settings work then, thanks for the tip and here's hoping KDE picks up some of the apps other than Apper

[prodigy_]

What a waste of time, why don't they just do something useful like AIX smit and call it a day.

CLI and config files are great because with them you always know to a certainty what you just did. Any kind of front-end to that adds nothing except obscuring the process and making your life harder in the long run.

[Marc Driftmeyer]

What a waste of time, why don't they just do something useful like AIX smit and call it a day.

Sorry, but the more it resembles the clean and useful features of OS X Server Tools GUI the more accessible it will be for the average person. Perhaps these means less admin jobs or admins can focus on much more pressing matters.

Having useful tools to manage users, disks, etc., that looks like it wasn't written in 1996 outside on either Windows of OS/2 is a win.

[Marc Driftmeyer]

CLI and config files are great because with them you always know to a certainty what you just did. Any kind of front-end to that adds nothing except obscuring the process and making your life harder in the long run.

Right, because configuration changes aren't written to actual text files,plist files, etc., right?

[prodigy_]

Right, because configuration changes aren't written to actual text files,plist files, etc., right?

Ultimately this is exactly what happens. One good look at Windows registry usually works as a nice chill pill for GUI advocates because the registry is a garbage can where you can find anything (e.g. XML values with base64 encoded binary blobs in them).

But even without going that far GUI tools add nothing but headache in real life. Imagine that you're working for a large company where some really smart guy somewhere suddenly decides that you don't need ssh to a server because there a GUI tool that should be enough for your needs. The problem is that 1) he doesn't have a clue about your job and 2) the GUI tool doesn't do what it's supposed to do because it's obsoleted by some change made last year. Then you spend a month trying to get this through to the management and then you have to wait even more for a solution.

Like everything that adds unnecessary complexity to the overall structure, GUI administrative tools are pure evil.

[erendorn]

Ultimately this is exactly what happens. One good look at Windows registry usually works as a nice chill pill for GUI advocates because the registry is a garbage can where you can find anything (e.g. XML values with base64 encoded binary blobs in them).

But even without going that far GUI tools add nothing but headache in real life. Imagine that you're working for a large company where some really smart guy somewhere suddenly decides that you don't need ssh to a server because there a GUI tool that should be enough for your needs. The problem is that 1) he doesn't have a clue about your job and 2) the GUI tool doesn't do what it's supposed to do because it's obsoleted by some change made last year. Then you spend a month trying to get this through to the management and then you have to wait even more for a solution.

Like everything that adds unnecessary complexity to the overall structure, GUI administrative tools are pure evil.

GUI are not meant to solve bad management problems...

[psychoticmeow]

Ultimately this is exactly what happens. One good look at Windows registry usually works as a nice chill pill for GUI advocates because the registry is a garbage can where you can find anything (e.g. XML values with base64 encoded binary blobs in them).

But even without going that far GUI tools add nothing but headache in real life. Imagine that you're working for a large company where some really smart guy somewhere suddenly decides that you don't need ssh to a server because there a GUI tool that should be enough for your needs. The problem is that 1) he doesn't have a clue about your job and 2) the GUI tool doesn't do what it's supposed to do because it's obsoleted by some change made last year. Then you spend a month trying to get this through to the management and then you have to wait even more for a solution.

Like everything that adds unnecessary complexity to the overall structure, GUI administrative tools are pure evil.

What a load of horseshit. Your problem isn't the GUI tool, its the bureaucracy forcing you to use it. If RedHat can make a tool like webmin, but without the absolutely atrocious user experience, then everything will be just fine.